Peoples Redemption Party presidential candidate Donald Duke has warned that a fragmented opposition is unlikely to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, but said any coalition must be built around a common governing vision rather than simply removing the incumbent.
Duke spoke in Abuja as opposition parties began fresh discussions on cooperation through the G100 summit.
He said a coalition formed only around the objective of defeating Tinubu would not be sufficient to solve Nigeria’s problems.
According to Duke, opposition parties first needed to agree on a clear national programme and only then determine who was best suited to lead and communicate that agenda.
He argued that the presidential system concentrated significant power in the office of the incumbent and therefore required a strong and coordinated opposition.
Duke said the fragmentation of opposition votes in 2023 demonstrated the electoral consequences of division.
He referred to the votes received by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi and argued that the combined opposition total exceeded Tinubu’s vote.
That arithmetic does not automatically establish how voters would have behaved under a single candidacy, but Duke used it to illustrate his argument for cooperation.
He said the essential challenge was to develop a credible vision capable of attracting support across party boundaries.
Duke added that he would not support an opposition arrangement that merely replaced one president with another without a coherent plan for governance.
His position adds a policy-focused dimension to ongoing coalition talks, which have so far concentrated largely on structures and negotiating frameworks.
